HOMEWARD BOUND

CHEF PAULA NEL HAS CREATED A RESTFUL CAPE TOWN PAD THAT PERFECTLY REFLECTS HER FASCINATION WITH GLOBAL CULTURES WHILE PAYING TRIBUTE TO HER COUNTRY OF BIRTH

South African chef Paula Nel is far too discreet to disclose who her celebrity clients are—suffice to say they’re some of the world’s most loved media, music and movie moguls. Nel spends up to three months at a stretch aboard her primary client’s private luxury yacht, shifting between the Mediterranean, and cities like Miami and Monaco, preparing elaborate menus together with a brigade of chefs. When she’s not planning innovative ways to fulfil the gourmet desires of her clients, Nel is invariably plotting her next adventure. “I tend to get a month or two off every few months, which gives me enough time to get in a couple of trips before heading home to chill and catch up with family and friends,” says the chef. From horseback riding in the highlands of Ethiopia to visiting the famed Kings Cattle in Rwanda, the more offbeat her travels, the better.

LEFT TO RIGHT Picture shelves line the living area; the latest renovation led to the creation of a second sitting area, decorated with a worn leather Chesterfield sofa and some of Nel’s favourite prints and artworks